Blizzard man
by Tang Ri Shan
Summary: This is my version of the film Chill Out Scooby Doo with some elements from Mummy 3 Tomb of the Dragon Emperor thrown in. I think these two films go together well. Enjoy!


June 4, 2010

Tang Ri Shan

Blizzard Man

(My version of Chill Out Scooby Doo)

**Chapter 1**

In Paris, France, life was peaceful. The Eiffel Tower projected proudly over the city. Down the river a ways, three people were enjoying the sights, sounds, and shopping. At least, two of them were.

Walter Hammond's face was creased with worry lines as he sorted through a bunch of letters in his hand. He was skimming over them, tossing them onto the café table, muttering under his breath. His two children, Bernard and Delilah, were feeling more relaxed with themselves. Bernard, tall and black-haired was wearing a white I LOVE Paris t-shirt with a heart and Eiffel Tower in the place of LOVE and PARIS. He was wearing a black French hat and reading a newspaper. Delilah, slender and red-haired, had just joined them after doing some shopping. She was wearing a purple dress, pink tights, and white heels. She had donned a pink sunhat and fancy black shades. Running her hands down her legs, she sighed happily.

"I'm so glad we came to Paris daddy." She smiled and winked seductively as two strong-looking boys passed by. One winked back at her, and she giggled.

Walter ignored his daughter as he continued to leaf through the letters. Next to him, Bernard flipped over a page of the newspaper he was reading.

Delilah crossed her arms and groaned "I don't know who's more boring right now. Dad with his letters, or you and your newspaper"

Bernard looked up "Sis, you know I have to practice my French for school" He smiled as he flipped the page.

"Hey, look at this" He spread the newspaper on the table as he read, translating for the others.

**Dog Saves Climbers from Danger**

_Alan Woods, a professional mountain climber attained fame yesterday when he saved his entire team from a freak avalanche which buried the lodge in which they were staying in the Himalayas. Alan was able to get his entire team out seconds before the avalanche appeared on the cliffs above. When asked how he was able to pull off this amazing rescue, Alan describes seeing a large white dog outside the lodge, and that he heard the rumbling of the avalanche when he went outside to investigate it. The locals seemed fearful when he mentioned the dog, which has not been seen since. It is unclear what caused the avalanche, but tonight the climbers breathe a sigh of relief that they are not buried beneath tons of snow right now._

Brian looked up from the paper to find that Walter was reading the paper as well with a hungry look on his face.

"Dad, you look weird. What's wrong?" Bernard looked at his father.

Walter looked up.

"Nothing's wrong kids" he smiled, "That newspaper article made me think about your uncle."

The kids fell silent, though not out of respect. They hardly knew their Uncle Richard, who had died when they were only babies, but they knew their father would be furious if they didn't pretend to act respectful.

"Are all those letters from him?" Delilah asked, pointing at the small pile on the table.

"Some are" Walter sighed, laying the rest of them down.

"What does this have to do with the paper?" Delilah asked, frowning.

"I was also thinking of Blizzard" Walter explained. When the kids looked confused, Walter explained further. "Blizzard was a hybrid husky puppy your uncle found when he was six years old. He nurtured it and took care of it. Eventually they became inseparable. Your uncle named him Blizzard because he was pure white, a trait not normally found in the husky breed."

"So you're saying he was a Samoyed?" Bernard asked, referring to the furry white dog breed.

Walter shook his head, "He seemed bigger than a Samoyed. When the vet examined him, he discovered that Blizzard was part Arctic Wolf and part Siberian husky"

"Eww" Delilah shivered "A filthy mongrel"

"Delilah" Walter's voice became stern as he glared at his daughter.

"Sorry daddy" Delilah shrank down in her chair.

"Blizzard was a very loyal dog, and he liked winter best of all. We used to play hide and seek in the snow and we'd never find him. He always won" Walter smiled, remembering. "He accompanied me and your uncle during that mountain climb in the Himalayas. When your uncle broke his leg, Blizzard never seemed to leave his side. He was with us when the avalanche struck. Instead of running away, he tried to shield your uncle from the impact. I never saw either of them again" Walter sniveled, wiping tears from his eyes. Bernard's lip quivered, as if he was holding back tears of his own. Delilah rolled her eyes.

"No offense father" she leaned forward in her chair "But that's ancient history. Why do we have to talk about the past, it distracts us from the now?" She pulled out a tube of lipstick and a mirror and applied a layer to her already red lips.

"You don't understand" Walter signaled to the waiter for the check. "I thought that Blizzard had died in that avalanche, but what if he survived?"

"What difference would that make?" Delilah asked, now powdering her nose.

"Because if Blizzard survived, maybe Richard survived as well.

Bernard and Delilah looked at each other in shock. Had their father lost it?

"Gee, dad" Delilah sighed "We'd love to go look for Blizzard, but since there's no way we could reach the Himalayas from here, it looks like we're out of luck"

"No?" Walter smiled as he rose to his feet, "We'll see about that."

Bernard and Delilah stared as their father ran towards the green van they had rented.

"Looks like you're trading in your high heels for snow boots, sis" Bernard laughed as he rose to follow. Delilah groaned as she picked up her bags and followed.

**Chapter 2**

At Paris international airport, Walter contacted his old school friend Jeffry, who was a pilot for a cargo airline.

"Funny thing, you mentioning the Himalayas" Jeffry said as he poured a cup of coffee, "This fat Frenchman guy comes up to me yesterday and books my cargo plane for a trip to the Himalayas."

"That's perfect!" Walter exclaimed, "Can you get us on that plane?"

"You haven't heard the weirdest part yet" Jeffry put down his mug. "He actually asked me to find some people who wouldn't mind joining him. He said he'd pay for everything!"

"In that case, we're doubly interested." Bernard smiled.

"But I thought that we were already on vacation" Delilah complained, leaning against the wall.

"Delilah, this could be my only chance to find Blizzard and Richard" Walter signed a form and turned back to them as Jeffry disappeared into a doorway.

"Blizzard's your dog, not mine, and I personally have no interest in my dead uncle. I don't see why I should go to a freezing hell hole to chase after some phantoms!" Delilah turned away from them and walked out the door.

"Delilah!" Walker yelled after her, but she wouldn't turn around.

"Let me talk to her" Bernard said and followed her outside.

Outside the office, Bernard found Delilah standing in the middle of the airplane hangar. The hangar was big, with three single-prop planes in partial disarray. As Bernard got closer, he saw that Delilah was looking at someone working on one of the planes. From where Bernard was standing, he could see that the guy she was staring at was broad-shouldered and had dark hair. Muscular arms extended down from the sleeves of his work shirt and his pants bulged with muscle. Looking at Delilah, Bernard could see that her sister's face was out at the all-you-can-eat love buffet.

Smiling, he approached his sister quietly.

"Have you talked to him yet?" He asked, making her jump.

"Are you kidding?" Delilah turned to face her brother.

Chuckling to himself, Bernard approached the man.

"No, wait" Delilah whispered, but Bernard ignored her. He paused for a minute, wondering what to say.

"Is that as complicated as it looks?" He finally asked. The man looked up. He was very handsome, probably in his 30s.

"Pardon?" he asked in a thick French accent.

"You make it look easy to fix a plane, is it really that simple?" Bernard asked.

The man cracked a smile, Bernard heard his sister sigh behind her.

"Oui Monsieur" the man said, rising to his feet. "It is so simple, that with the proper training, even a knucklehead could do it."

"Here that sis?" Bernard turned to Delilah "Something even you couldn't mess up"

"Ha Ha" Delilah approached the group, seeing the noose her brother had woven.

"I'm Bernard and this is my sister Delilah" Bernard introduced them.

"Bonjour Monsieur Bernard" The man shook Bernard's hand "Bonjour Madame Delilah" he kissed Delilah's hand lightly, Delilah giggled. "I am Ronald, co-pilot for Mr. Jeffrey."

"Will you be joining us on the flight to the Himalayas?" Bernard asked, Delilah gasped happily.

"Of course, that plane won't fly itself" Ronald smiled, and returned to its work.

Seeing the look on Delilah's face, Bernard decided to push it.

"Gee sis" He whispered to her "It's too bad you're not coming with us"

"Nice try bro" Delilah shoved her brother

Bernard wasn't giving up. "Now that I think about it, the Himalayas are a cold and lonely place. Nothing works best in that kind of environment than a warm shoulder to lean on. I wonder who's going to lean on Ronald's shoulder. Maybe some pretty Tibetan girl would be happy to…" Delilah grabbed Bernard by the collar.

Bernard chuckled nervously.

Delilah's grip was tight, but she smiled sweetly. "Tell dad I've changed my mind. I'll come with you".

Bernard nodded and walked back towards the office, pumping his hands in the air. Delilah smiled and turned back to watching Ronald work.

"Delilah's coming with us" Bernard reported. Walter looked up from a desk.

"How did you make that happen?" He asked.

"It was easy." Bernard smiled as Delilah joined the group.

Jeffrey walked out of the office with a smile on his face. "I just got off the phone with the big guy. Everything's set. The flight leaves in two days, and I've been asked to remind you to dress for cold weather."

**Chapter 3**

Two days later, a large four-engine cargo plane winged through the snowy air. They had been airborne for 5 hours now, but the chilly air outside signaled that they flight was nearly over. Delilah and Bernard were sitting near a window. Bernard was finishing off a sandwich given to him by the co-pilot. Delilah hadn't touched her food, sulking, she stared out the window as snowflakes whirled past.

"What's wrong with her?" Walter asked Bernard.

"She's mad because Ronald never showed" Bernard replied, taking another bite out of his sandwich.

It was true, there had been a last minute change of plan and Ronald was called off on another flight, but Delilah hadn't learned that until they were already in the air. She had been sulking since.

Joining the Hammonds was a team of four people. There was the fat Frenchmen who had paid for the trip. He was currently in the cockpit with Jerry. There were also three other people sitting in the plane. One was Johnny, a tall African with dreadlocks. He shivered as he looked outside and pulled up the collar of his black windbreaker. Next to him, a Chinese girl named Wei Li, who looked like she should be in college, zipped up a brown fur-covered coat and checked the boots she was wearing. Behind them, a blonde Englishman named Edward was dressed in a blue hooded parka and pale snow trousers. He was sitting so still that Bernard at first thought that he was a statue until he turned to look at him and smiled. Bernard smiled back and turned away.

"Hey Walter!" Jeffry's voice echoed through the speaker "Get up here!" Walter leapt out of his seat and dashed into the cockpit.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Jeffry smiled at his and pointed out the windscreen. Looking out, Walter could see a very tall mountain rising majestically up in front of them.

"Mt. Everest, dead ahead" Jeffry said as the man sitting near the door stood up.

Aha!" The man said in a thick French accent. "Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in all the world, and home of many of the world's most infamous legends"

"So you're really going through with this?" The co-pilot asked, a brown-haired man with dark glasses looked up at the Frenchman.

"But of course" He looked down at the co-pilot. "Monsieur Poisson does not shy away from danger"

"Better get things ready back there". Jeffry said, "We're approaching the drop point"

Monsieur Poisson and Walter left the cockpit to tell everyone else.

Half an hour later, the co-pilot had taken control of the plane and Jeffry had joined the team in the cargo hold of the plane.

Jeffry was sorting through the parachutes.

"You never said anything about jumping out of the plane" Delilah shivered as the cargo door was opened.

"Afraid of heights now are we?" Bernard teased as he buckled his chute into place.

Delilah made a face as she accepted a parachute from the Wei Li, who smiled at her. Delilah smiled back, but her smiled was shaky.

Monsieur Poisson was going over with his teammates a checklist for items in a large crate that would be dropped along with them. Edward attached a quick-release cord to the parachute pack on top of the crate as Johnny tied the other end to the wall of the plane.

"We're over the drop zone. You can jump anytime!" The co-pilot called through the speaker.

Monsieur Poisson closed up the crate and locked it shut. Than Johnny pulled a lever. The restraints loosened with a snap and the crate began rolling towards the gaping opening. It fell over the edge, the cord whipping behind it. Rushing to the edge, Delilah and Bernard saw the pack release and the parachute open correctly.

As Delilah and Bernard clambered back to their father Monsieur Poisson ran to the edge and jumped off like he was springing off of a diving board. He hung in space for a few seconds, than he yelled an expression and vanished from sight.

"What did he say?" Delilah asked

"I think it's the French term for Geronimo!" Johnny called out as he jumped. Seconds later Wei Li and Edward had also vanished over the side.

Walter made to follow, but Jeffry clasped his hand.

The two friends looked into each other's eyes.

"Wish us luck" Walter said,

"Go find him, Man!" Jeffry replied as they released hands.

The three Hammond's perched on the edge of the ramp and clasped hands.

"We jump on three!" Walter yelled over the wind. "Ready?"

Bernard nodded, Delilah didn't feel ready, but she nodded as well.

"One!" Bernard turned back to see Jeffry watching them. He gave Bernard thumbs up.

"Two!" Delilah tried to calm her fluttering heart and gritted her teeth.

"THREE!" They leapt into space.

**Chapter 4**

Delilah screamed as they fell through the snowy air. Twisting her head around, she saw the plane, the only safe place she knew in the sky, getting smaller and smaller. Looking down, she saw the icy mountains below.

"Pull cords on three!" Her father's voice yelled through the howling wind.

"One, two, three!" There was a whoosh as the pack deployed. Bernard felt himself yanked upwards as the parachute caught air.

"Hey dad!" Bernard yelled

"What?" Walter yelled back

"Do you think this is what paratroopers felt like in WWII?" Bernard asked, laughing

Walter laughed too, "Probably, but we have it easy. There aren't enemy soldiers waiting for us when we land"

Delilah was in no mood for jokes "I feel like I've been bumped from frequent flyer to frequent faller!" She yelled

Bernard laughed, "Good one sis!"

The rest of the fall was silent as they watched the ground slowly get closer and closer.

On the ground, Monsieur Poisson's crew was retrieving the crate from where it had landed, while Monsieur Poisson was trying to find a local guide, but many people seemed to be leaving the village near where they had landed.

"Where are you going?" he asked a man who was leading three yaks away. "Why are you leaving the village?"

The man turned, "This mountain is cursed" He held up a wooden staff and patted the leading yak "The yaks are unhappy, because they feel the yeti's presence and fear its cursed powers." He turned away. "Come on girls, we're getting out of here" He led the yaks away after the other villagers.

"Deserted village, Yeti sighting, creepy yak man" Wei Li walked up, "Are you sure we're in the right place?" Monsieur Poisson nodded.

"Where are those other people from the plane?" Edward asked.

"I bet they chickened out" Johnny chuckled.

"I hope not" Monsieur Poisson frowned up at the sky, than he noticed something.

"Look" he pointed "There they are" Sure enough, three specks had appeared, getting larger each second. They looked like they were heading to where the crate had landed. Everyone ran to meet them. However, as they got closer, the wind suddenly shifted. Walter, Bernard, and Delilah were blown over towards the monastery that lay on the other side of the canyon.

"We must make sure they are alright" Monsieur Poisson began scrambling down the canyon.

"Why is he so interested in them?" Edward asked Johnny

"I'll tell you later" Johnny said as he turned back to the crate.

The monastery was a large building colored white with red roofs. There was a large stone wall around it with several gates. Outside one of these gates, a brown-haired American was talking to a local while he was putting incense on a small dish and placing it over a small fire.

"Thanks for not giving up on me Chang" The American said as Chang closed his hands in prayer. "If you hadn't come back for me, I would have wandered in that snowstorm for hours. I don't think I would have made it back here alive" The American sighed as he watched the smoke curl up from the burning leaves.

"It is my own fault Alan," Chang replied, opening his eyes. "When I saw the White Dog outside the monastery this morning, I should have realized that we would run into trouble."

"Odd, isn't it?" Alan said, rubbing his chin

"What is?" Chang asked

"That dog" Alan replied "Twice we've seen it. And twice there's been impending doom shortly afterwards. It's as if the dog is an omen of some kind"

Chang nodded.

"Anyway, tomorrow we'll go back and…"

"No" Chang said firmly

"What?" Alan turned to face Chang, a surprised look on his face.

"After what happened today, no one will go up the mountain" Chang gestured to the village on the other side. "That is why everyone is leaving both the monastery and the village."

Alan protested. "Just because we saw some tracks in the snow doesn't mean that…"

"You just saw the tracks" Chang narrowed his eyes "But I came face-to-face with the creature. And it looked very angry to find me in the forbidden lands. Now he will come here to seek his revenge".

Alan chuckled, "Apparently not everyone is frightened by this creature" He pointed and Chan turned. Two people were approaching, one was a boy wearing monk robes of deep orange, the other was a teenage girl wearing a blue wool sweater and listening to a radio.

"Tong, Mai, what are you two still doing here?" Chang demanded.

"We've brought you some hot tea" Mai replied in a loud voice, clearly speaking over the radio. Tong didn't say anything, but he held out a tray in which two cups of steaming liquid were present.

"No, I mean why haven't you left yet?" Chang raised his voice, than reached over and pulled off Mai's headphones. Upon realizing that she could no longer hear the music, an angry look crossed Mai's face. "I was listening to that" She complained as she turned off the radio.

"You two should be gone by now, why are you still here?" Chang asked.

Mai laughed. "I'm too old to be frightened by your monster stories, Chang"

Chang laughed as he and Alan took the teacups.

"Please, excuse my younger sister, Alan. She is more stubborn than a yak"

Mai stuck out her tongue as Tong took back the tray.

"So you two don't believe in the yeti?" Alan asked.

Tong vigorously shook his head while Mai laughed again. "When I was younger, Chang would tell stories to the village and monastery children. He said that the yeti was going to come for us. He would scare us out of our wits. Now he is going around telling everyone that he has actually seen the monster."

"But I'm not kidding this time" Chang turned back to the fire and resumed his prayer. "The yeti truly is real" He said quietly.

A scream made everyone look up.

Delilah shrieked again as she was blown about by the wind. Below her, Walter and Bernard were struggling to turn their parachutes in this frigid gust.

"It's no use!" Bernard yelled as they dropped.

"Brace for impact!" Walter yelled, curling in his legs.

As Chain, Alan, Tong, and Mai watched, Bernard and Walter sailed over the monastery walls and landed with a thud in the middle of a courtyard. As they struggled to rise, Delilah landed right on top of them. As their parachutes collapsed on top of them, Chang and Alan heaved open the heavy wooden gate in the wall and they rushed inside.

"Are you three alright?" Alan asked he helped Delilah to her feet.

"I think so" Walter said as he rose to his feet, shrugging off the parachute harness.

"Speak for yourself" Bernard complained, standing up and arching his back. "I don't think my rear will ever be the same."

"What is this intrusion?" A stern voice made everyone look up. An old man was standing on a balcony watching them.

Chang and Tong bowed. "I humbly apologize for the interruption, high lama".

The High Lama was in no mood for listening. "The monastery has been closed, now go away!" He tapped the curved wooden staff he carried on the floor.

"But look, these three strangers have just fallen from the sky" Chang motioned to them. Delilah waved, while Bernard and Walter bowed respectively.

The High Lama studied them, than nodded and smiled "Indeed" He turned and vanished into the monastery.

"So what do we do now?" Delilah asked, but before anyone could answer, a door opened and the High Lama appeared carrying a tray. His red-and-orange robes fluttered in the breeze.

"May I offer you something warm to drink?" He asked as he approached them. "You must be very cold and tired after your long journey."

"Thank you" Bernard and Walter each took a cup.

Bernard and Walter drained their cups, than Bernard made a face, for the drink was not as tasty as he had thought. Everyone else chuckled.

"I see you do not enjoy out yak-milk tea" The High Lama smiled as he set the tray down on a small table.

"I think it was a little too much yak, not enough tea" Bernard covered his mouth.

Delilah suddenly screamed. During all this she had been nosing around the courtyard, now she had opened a door, gone inside, and screamed.

Everyone rushed inside to find Delilah gazing in fear at a large carving of a yeti.

"Wow, that's a pretty creepy carving" Bernard commented, looking up at the fearsome visage of the yeti.

"In this room, we offer sacrifices to appease the yeti, half man and half animal, the yeti live in the snow caves, high on the mountain." The High Lama explained as everyone examined the carving.

Bernard noticed that there was a large crystal resting in the outstretched hand of the carving. He asked what it was for.

The High Lama frowned. "The crystal is sacred". He replied as he pulled a rope. A red curtain fell around the carving, shielding it from their sight.

"Its mystical glow protects us for the evil powers of the creatures of the mountains".

The High Lama escorted them out of the chamber and sealed the door behind him.

Just as he did, the outer door suddenly opened. Monsieur Poisson stood there, his coonskin hat waving in the breeze.

"Bonjour mes amis" He laughed "I have found you"

"Where did you land?" Bernard asked.

"Other side of the canyon" Johnny explained, appearing behind the Frenchman.

"Monsieur" Edward appeared, gasping for breath. "We have a problem. Some of the items are missing from the crate. I think they were left on the plane"

"But the plane may be back in Paris by now" Johnny snapped "What can we do?"

"Perhaps you could call the plane from the weather station" Mai suggested. Everyone looked at her. It's up the mountain a ways. I have been there before, I can take you there"

Chang snorted "You have never been there, and you are going _down_ the mountain, not _up."_ Turning to the rest of the group he said "I would be honored to guide you to the weather station".

"I'll get my crew and we'll accompany you" Alan spoke up "With those snow creatures out there, we'll be safer in numbers."

"Oui Monsieur" Poisson spread his hands. "We will all climb the mountain together".

"Beware, strangers" The High Lama's voice made them look up. He was back on the balcony.

"The Yeti guards the most secret of places. In these mountains, there is terrible danger awaiting those who would seek the unknown, for they shall meet their doom" He smiled and vanished into the monastery.

**Chapter 5**

The next morning, twelve people set out through the snowy wasteland. Chang and Alex led the way, followed by Alan's crew of three, Monsieur Poisson and his crew, with Delilah, Bernard, and Walter bringing up the rear. Besides the packs on their backs, since most of the animals had left with the villagers, everyone was forced to pull a large sledge behind them, loaded down with gear and provisions.

"Are you okay?" Walter asked when he saw Delilah stumble.

Delilah shot a mean glance at her father. "Okay?" She asked in disbelief "Do I look okay? I'm miles away from civilization, traveling on a frozen freak fest searching for a white dog named Blizzard (dumb name by the way) and an uncle that probably died years ago and doesn't exist now, all because you read an article in the paper about someone claiming to have seen it"

"Are you talking about the White Dog?" Alan asked, pausing so they could catch up. The others had stopped for a break.

"How do you know about Blizzard?" Bernard asked, leaning against a large rock.

"I've seen it" Alan replied quietly.

He looked around as the others leaned in.

"I'll never forget him" He said softly, "It was a few days ago. Me and my mates were having a party to celebrate our success so far. I was over at a window of the building we were staying in when I heard a whine. Looking out, I didn't see anything but white snow, then suddenly, a snow bank moved. I went outside for a better look and I saw that it wasn't a snow bank at all. It was a large dog. It was pure white with some gray flecks on the fur. Its green eyes were wide and its mouth was slightly open, revealing sharp teeth. I looked at it, and it looked at me. Then I heard the rumbling noise. The dog looked up towards the mountain. I looked, and I saw the avalanche rocketing towards the building. Panic seized me for a moment, and then I forced myself to calm down. I ran inside and dragged my team out. We barely made it to safety before the avalanche plowed through the building we were staying in."

"That's quite a story" Delilah said in awe, while Bernard turned to Walter, who looked lost in thought.

"Well dad?" Bernard asked, Delilah and Alan all looked at Walter.

He nodded and smiled "That sounds like something Blizzard would do"

"How do you know about that dog?" Alan asked.

"Blizzard was my brother's dog" Walter explained. When Alan looked confused, Walter continued. "A few years ago, my brother, Richard, and I came here to get away from the world for a while. Blizzard accompanied us. I realized when we arrived that he felt completely at home here. He loved the cold the best. One day we had hiked up the mountain with Blizzard to play a game. We were playing hide and seek in the snow. Suddenly Richard tripped and fell into a small chasm. He was able to climb out, but in the process, his leg was speared through by an icicle. He couldn't walk without assistance. Blizzard appeared out of nowhere, barking like crazy. We wondered what he was excited about, than Richard saw it. An avalanche was roaring towards us. We tried to get away, but Richard told me he'd never make it. He told me to go on and leave him behind. I tried to argue with him, telling him that he was crazy. He said he'd never forgive himself if I died helping him. Still I wouldn't move. But then Blizzard did something I'd never seen him do. He barked and snarled at me. He leapt at me, and chased me away. Once I was out of danger, he turned and raced back to Richard. He leapt between Richard and the avalanche and that's the last I saw of them. The avalanche swept down into a deep crevice, I imagine that Richard and Blizzard's bodies were swept down there with the snow"

As Walter finished the tale, there was silence, out of respect this time.

"There's something I don't get" Walter realized that everyone in the group was listening. One of Alan's crew was speaking.

"If Blizzard died in that avalanche, than how could Alan have seen him?"

"Maybe its Blizzard's ghost" Wei Li shivered beneath her jacket.

"That would make sense" Chang mused, his eyes frowning in concentration. Everyone looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Bernard asked

"Ever since that particular avalanche, some locals claim to have seen this Blizzard. According to them, every time someone has seen Blizzard, they find themselves in trouble afterwards. Avalanches, snowstorms, even attacks. The locals view Blizzard as a bad omen, if you see or hear him, than trouble won't be far away." Chang explained.

"Blizzard had a certain knack for detecting trouble" Walter explained "Whenever he sensed something; he would try to warn us in any way possible"

Johnny and Edward laughed. "This is all very interesting, but we should probably keep moving" Johnny grabbed the lead for his sledge and everyone made to do the same. But Alan didn't move, he was staring down the mountain.

"What's the problem?" Delilah asked as she stood up.

"I think someone's following us" Alan replied gravely.

Monsieur Poisson pulled out a pair of binoculars and scanned the trail they had come by.

"Oui Monsiuer, la petit mademoiselle" He handed the binoculars to Chang, who peered through them.

"It's Mai" He exclaimed in disgust. "I told you she is more stubborn than a yak" he said to Alex.

When Mai caught up with them, she had a worried look on her face.

"I was about to leave the village" She told them "But then I heard the weather report on the radio. There's a very big snowstorm on the way. I felt I should warn you"

Chang snorted "Of course you heard it on the radio. That is all you do these days ever since my grandfather got it for you. You stare off into space, listening to that bigmouth DJ playing his silly records."

Mai frowned, "He is not a bigmouth. His lovely voice is the only friend I have up here"

She unplugged her earphones so everyone could hear. An old jazz song boomed from the speakers of the small radio, everyone recognized the song.

"I didn't think you could get a radio station up here" Delilah said in amazement as she stared at the radio.

Chang laughed "That's because you can't. It's just the man at the weather station, pretending to be a DJ"

"But there really is a storm coming!" Mai raised her voice.

"She's right" Alan agreed "Look there" He pointed towards the distant mountaintops. As everyone watched, dark clouds were already extending beyond the mountain range.

"A storm that powerful could blow us off this mountain" Alan hoisted his pack up. "We need to find shelter and fast"

"We'll never make it to the weather station now" Chang yelled as the wind began to pick up. "We'll have to camp here!"

Suddenly, everyone froze, for above the wind, they could hear that somewhere close by, a dog was howling. It was like a wolf call, but slightly deeper.

Walter turned pale "That's Blizzard's howl. I'd recognize it anywhere" Raising his hands he yelled "BLIZZARD!" There was no reply.

Eventually they were able to find a large overhang that provided them partial shelter from the wind. While Alan, Walter, Delilah, and Bernard set up the tents, Monsieur Poisson and his crew began setting things up around the camp. No one was sure what they were for, but they were too busy to investigate.

**Chapter 6**

The night came, and everyone was asleep, except for Delilah. She squirmed, tossing this way and that, but she couldn't get her mind to sleep.

"You wanna wake up the whole neighborhood?" Bernard moaned grumpily from the sleeping bag next to her.

"Sorry" She whispered

"Can't you sleep?" Bernard asked, rolling over to face her.

"No" Delilah shook her head "I've been thinking about Blizzard"

"What about him?" Bernard sat up and unzipped his sleeping bag.

"Well, do you really think it's possible that Blizzard could have survived the avalanche?" Delilah looked at her brother.

Bernard thought about it, then his eyes widened.

"What?" Delilah asked

"If Blizzard survived the avalanche, do you think Uncle Richard could have survived as well?" He asked.

Now Delilah's eyes widened, she shivered.

"I need some air" She quickly pulled on her outer clothes and boots and crawled out of the tent.

"Me too" Bernard quickly followed his sister.

Outside, the two siblings stretched and breathed in the cold air.

Delilah sighed, smiling. "Don't tell dad, but I actually like this weather."

"The cold air really helps refresh a person" Bernard agreed, taking a deep breath.

Suddenly, a deep-throated roar echoed through the air from somewhere nearby.

Both kids looked around but didn't see anything.

Walter stuck his head out from another tent.

"Keep it down you two" He scolded, yawning.

"That wasn't us!" Delilah replied, glancing around wildly. A second roar echoed across the snowy slopes, as if to agree with her.

Hearing laugher, the threesome saw Monsieur Poisson emerge from the biggest tent, fully dressed. A large rifle was cradled in his hands.

"The creature, he knows that we are here!" He cried out happily.

"And how is that a good thing?" Bernard asked

Delilah faked a yawn. "I'm going back to bed"

"Mes Amis" Poisson grabbed their hands. "You cannot quit now"

"What does this have to do with us, anyway?" Delilah asked as they turned around.

"Watch this" Monsieur Poisson pulled out a remote control and pressed a button. A red ring of light ran around the outside of the camp, crisscrossing out in various directions.

"Are those lasers?" Walter asked, joining the group.

Monsieur Poisson nodded "The traps are now set. First I will catch the monster, than you will go home"

Delilah gasped in horror, while Bernard glared at him.

"What do you mean by that? Just who are you to say that?" He demanded

"I am Monsieur Poisson, the world's greatest hunter" he smiled and spread his arms "Now I come here in search of the world's greatest prize".

"And we're just bait to help you catch that prize?" Delilah gasped, half out of fear, and half out of anger.

Before Monsieur Poisson could respond, the roar came again, this time from behind them, and very close. Bernard, Delilah, and Walter slowly turned, and gasped.

Standing on an icy ledge above them was something so horrible, that only one word could describe it.

_Yeti!_

The creature was taller than a man, covered with thick white hair that made it appear to blend in with the thick white snow. But there was no disguising its face, on which the skin was blue, as if it had been frozen long ago. Its eyes, which glared at the human intruders, were ringed with black, as if it had not slept for years. White hair framed its mouth in a beard, and a mane of white hung from the creature's face, covering its neck. It opened its mouth to roar and they could see white fangs that looked as shark as ice picks. Its enormous hands and feet were also a frozen blue like its face, with dirty, yellow nails.

With a roar, the yeti jumped down and stood in front of them.

Monsieur Poisson rubbed his hands together, like a greedy merchant.

"At last!" He exclaimed, "The creature has come to me!"

"And now, we are going!" Delilah screamed and began running, Bernard right behind her. In their haste, they stepped in the path of the lasers and traps began activating all around them.

A concealed net gun shot out nylon net at them, but it missed and hit Monsieur Poisson instead. As he struggled to get free, a dart gun rose out of the snow. It fired tranquilizer darts at them, but they ducked. The yeti continued to chase them around the campsite. Eventually they ran across what seemed a solid rocky ledge, but it was actually a bridge of ice. The Yeti jumped over them and turned to face them. The children froze, shivering with cold and fear. The yeti narrowed its eyes, as if it was looking at them clearly for the first time. Then it advanced towards them. They backed up, but suddenly there was a clamp and Bernard howled in pain. He had stepped in a bear trap that had been hidden in the snow and it had snapped shut on his ankle. Delilah cried out and tried to loosen the trap, but it was no use.

Chang and Alan, meanwhile, had crawled out of their tents. "What is going on out here?" Chang demanded at Walter, who hadn't moved. Walter didn't reply, he just pointed at the yeti, which was advancing on the group. Alan gasped in amazement, but Chang immediately turned to run. He ran across a laser beam and suddenly a cage sprang up around him, trapping him instantly.

"Chang!" Alan and Walter ran to the cage and tried to find a mechanism to release him, but no such luck. Meanwhile, the yeti was closing in on Bernard and Delilah, who were struggling to free Bernard's leg from the trap. Suddenly a net flew through the air and landed on the yeti's head. Looking back, they saw that Monsieur Poisson had freed himself and was holding tightly to the net.

"Ah ha" He laughed "You think you can outsmart Monsieur Poisson, eh beasty?" The yeti roared as it struggled to pull the net off, then it grabbed the rope holding the net, and tugged hard. Monsieur Poisson was yanked off his feet. He flew over Bernard and Delilah and landed in front of the Yeti. As the creature roared, Monsieur Poisson scrambled back to a safe distance and picked up his rifle.

"You have come for Monsieur Poisson eh?" He bragged as he took aim. "No, no, no. Monsieur Poisson has come for you". He smiled.

"Look out!" Walter, Alan, and Chang's simultaneous warning came too late and Monsieur Poisson felt something grab him by his collar and yank him around. He stared into the eyes of a second yeti. Looking behind it, he saw that a third yeti was watching from the ledge above the cage where Chang was trapped. His mind whirled, 3 yeti?

The second yeti grabbed Poisson's gun and threw it over the edge of the cliff. Everyone heard the shatter as it fell 100 feet and broke on the rocky ground. Poisson was not out yet though, he unclipped his ice pick and raised it for an attack. But before he could, the yeti hurled him towards the edge. As Poisson slid along the snow, he stabbed his ice pick into the ground, abruptly halting his slide. He staggered to his feet and drew a pistol. But before he could take aim, he heard a crack. Looking down he saw cracks crisscrossing away from where his ice pick had been planted in the ground.

"Oh no" He moaned. The ledge he was standing on broke away and he vanished, screaming as he fell.

Delilah gasped in horror "I can't believe he's gone".

Hearing the first yeti growl Bernard wasn't so sure. "Personally, I think he's lucky" He yelled as the yeti got closer to him. The second yeti also approached the twosome.

"Stay calm" Bernard whispered as the yeti stood over them. "Maybe they won't hurt us". Delilah whimpered in fear.

"Get away from them!" Alan yelled at the yeti, who roared at him and stomped their large feet in defiance.

"Bernard" Delilah whimpered and pointed to the yeti's feet. As Bernard looked, his blood froze. Cracks were spreading out from where they were standing. Looking down, Bernard also saw cracks spreading out from beneath them. He realized that the ice beneath them had been disturbed by the activity and would not hold much longer.

He looked at the ground. He looked at the eyes of the yeti, who was oblivious to the fact the ice was crumbling. The yeti stared back at him. Bernard pointed at the yeti's feet, his eyes still locked with the creatures. The yeti looked down, confused, and when it saw the cracks spider webbing across the surface, a look came over its face, that could be best described as a person gasping in fear. The yeti roared and leapt back as the ice gave way. Bernard yanked at the stake that held the trap and it finally came out. But it was too late. As Bernard threw the trap away, the ice vanished beneath his feet, and Bernard fell. Delilah also fell, screaming as she vanished.

"No!" Alan yelled, rushing to the edge in time to see the two teenagers vanish into the darkness below.

Walter didn't say anything, but he locked eyes with the yeti on the other side. They looked into each other's eyes for a few minutes, than Walter nodded. The yeti was hesitant, but then it roared. The other two yetis vanished up the cliff as that one leapt into the same hole that the kids had vanished into.

**Chapter 7**

After Walter and Alan were finally able to open the cage and release Chang, the yetis were long gone.

"Why would that one yeti jump in after the children?" Alan asked as they gathered around a small fire that Chang had started.

"Shush" The Asian youth silenced Alan; he was staring at Walter, who was staring at the hole.

Suddenly, they heard a rumbling noise, everyone looked up, expecting to see an avalanche, but the slope was motionless. Then they saw bright light appear from behind a ledge. As they watched an orange crawler snowplow with a red scoop appeared and crawled over the snow towards them. It stopped a few feet away. The door opened and the driver poked his head out. He was wearing a brown hooded coat and snow goggles that covered most of his face.

"Everything okay here?" He asked, than he saw Walter. "Walter Hammond?" He exclaimed, his mouth opening.

Walter looked up and studied the face of the driver. His eyes widened. "Drew Frost? Is that you?" The driver jumped down and they hugged each other.

Drew removed his goggles to reveal happy brown eyes.

"Man" He exclaimed, "I thought you were in Paris!"

"What are you doing up here?" Walter asked as they let go.

Turning to Alan and Chang, he explained that Drew was a schoolmate of his.

"So like, what happened here?" Drew looked around, noticing the broken ice, discarded traps, and footprints.

"Yeti attack" Chang explained.

"Hey!" Alan's yell made everyone look up. He had been peering into one of the tents. "My crew isn't in their tents!" He looked at them, his eyes wide. Chang dashed over to the large tent.

"Poisson's crew is gone too!" He exclaimed.

"Look at this" Drew knelt down to look at some tracks that lead up the mountain. "It looks like those guys snuck out on their own".

"But why would they do that?" Walter asked.

Everyone shrugged.

"We can't worry about them now" Alan said, rubbing his arms. "Those creatures destroyed out tents and stole our food; we need to find food and shelter."

Drew brightened. "Why don't you guys come with me to the weather station?" He offered, "It's not that far, there's room for all of us while you guys make your plans".

"It's better than freezing out here" Walter admitted as he grabbed his pack. He hesitated, then grabbed Delilah's and Bernard's packs as well.

Soon all the salvageable gear was loaded and everyone piled into the snowplow for the trip to the weather station.

After half an hour, the snowplow came to a stop in front of a single-story stone building with a sign; **Mount Everest Weather Station, Elevation: 27,000 FT**

The building was made of brick and stone with an enormous weather dish on the roof. There were also devices that measured wind speed and direction, along with other instrument used for monitoring the Mt. Everest area.

The inside of the building wasn't what Walter was expecting. It looked like Drew actually lived at the weather station. Half of the building was converted to a living space with a large couch, a fold-down bed, a tiny bathroom, a kitchen located in a corner of the room with cupboards, a sink, a stove, and a fridge. The other half of the building was more what he was expecting. There was a large radio set, and instruments that were measuring activity on the mountain. But, there was also a large radar scanner sitting on shelves of what were revealed to be vinyl records. There was also a record player and CD player hooked up to the radio set and there were trails of string stretched across the ceiling. Hanging from the string were pictures, mostly of yeti footprints or parts of the mountain.

While everyone looked around, Drew walked over to a sat phone and punched in a number. There was no reply. Drew tried again, but all he got was static. Hanging up with a groan, he turned to face the group.

"Sorry, but it looks like we won't be able to call for help for a while. I think that snowstorm blocked out connection with the satellite." He opened a cupboard and pulled out a bag of cocoa. Within minutes, he handed them three mugs of steaming hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. As Walter drank the liquid, he felt energy flow back into his system.

"Boy" Drew thumped Walter on the back, "Am I glad to see you" Walter smiled at his friend's remark. "I don't normally get visitors up here".

"I can see why" Chang muttered as he glanced around.

Now that Drew had removed his coat, Walter could see that he was wearing an orange sweatshirt with a large blue footprint on it. Looking at his sweatshirt and at the photos strung around the place, Walter spoke up.

"So did you come here to find the Abominable snowman?"

"Well" Drew sighed, "I was bouncing from job to job, feeling bummed. But then it hit me, if I could get a job up here, than I could use my free time to search for proof of the yeti."

"So you're a yeti fan?" Alan asked

"I suppose you could say that" Drew replied, laughing. Just then, one of the machines beeped to life and began printing something. Drew rushed over, and ripped the paper off the machine. Sitting down in front of the radio, he signaled to the others for quiet, then he flipped a switch on the radio set. There was a high pitched hum and an ON AIR sign began flashing red.

Clearing his throat, he spoke into the microphone.

"Hello to all you mountain people. The weather at the moment, that giant snowstorm is pushing the temperature down low to the minus 50s. You'd better wrap up good because we're in for a cold afternoon. You're chilling with Drew Frost , spinning tunes for your mountain midday's." With that, he pressed a button on the record player. Music started playing and Drew turned back to the group. Alan was examining Drew's record collection.

"You have quite an array of music" He commented, as the other two walked over.

"But surely your job does not involve being a DJ" Chang objected as he looked over the records.

Drew sighed "Technically I'm only supposed to read weather reports as they are updated by the equipment, but after two months it started getting lonely. It makes me feel better just talking, even though no one is really listening".

Chang laughed "Except for my sister"

Everyone laughed at this.

Suddenly, another machine beeped to life. The machine began printing waves of red ink on a long roll of paper. Drew rushed over and examined it.

"Holy, guys come check this out!" He beckoned them over, "This is so weird!" He exclaimed as he studied the paper.

"Is that a seismograph?" Walter asked, Drew nodded in reply, "And according to it, there are some really strange vibrations coming from deep inside the mountain"

"This is very interesting, but we still need to find the other members of our party" Alan said, looking at Walter. Walter sighed and nodded.

"What's wrong?" Drew asked, looking from face to face. Chang described the yeti attack, and how Delilah and Bernard had fallen into a chasm.

"Man that's a major bummer" Drew slumped in his seat, "Especially after what happened last time you were here" Walter gave Drew a mean look and Drew quieted down. Walter rose and headed for the door.

"Hey, where you going?" Drew called to him.

Walter turned to face them. "This mountain has claimed my brother and my dog, I won't let it claim my kids as well" He opened the door, but Drew shut it again.

"It's too dangerous to go out now" He said "That snowstorm is in full force" Walter made to go past Drew, but Drew put his hands on the taller man's shoulders. "Look man. I feel your pain" He locked eyes with Walter "But risking your own life is not gonna help them"

Walter sighed, Drew was right. He stared out as the storm grew fiercer outside.

_Help them_ he called out silently, _Please!_

**Chapter 8**

Delilah groaned as she came to. She shook her head, which was throbbing. She was laying face first in the snow. Slowly her mind cleared from the black fog that was consuming it. Suddenly she remembered what had happened. She glanced around wildly. She was laying in a small canyon. White roofs, almost at her level told her that there had used to be structures here, but they had been buried in an avalanche. The only thing not covered by snow was a golden tower with a large blue crystal at the tip. The tip sparkled in the weak sunlight. Delilah staggered to her feet, fighting for balance as her legs wobbled beneath her. Looking around, she realized that Bernard was nowhere to be seen.

"Bernard!" She called. There was no reply.

"BERNARD!" She screamed at the top of her voice. A groan finally answered her. Gasping, she scrambled around the gold tower. Bernard was lying in a snow bank, the snow around him was red with blood. Besides his leg, which looked broken, there was also a wound in his chest that looked vicious.

Turning white, Delilah knelt down beside her brother as he looked up at her.

"That was some wild ride huh?" He joked, smiling.

Delilah examined the wound on his chest, "Where did that come from?"

"Icicle" Bernard moaned, wincing as he tried to move.

"Keep still" Delilah held him down, thinking quickly. "I'll find some way to help you until dad comes. He'll come, I know he will, and when he does we'll… what?"

Bernard was not listening to her; he was staring at something behind Delilah. As Delilah watched his eyes widened and his face became a mask of fear.

Delilah was about to ask him what he saw but then she heard a grunt behind her, a deep inhuman grunt. Slowly turning, she saw that a yeti was standing behind her, watching her. She gasped and moved to shield her brother from the beast, but as she did she noticed something. Before, when the yeti had been chasing them, its eyes had been narrowed, as if in rage. But now, its eyes were wide, revealing blue pupils that reminded Delilah of cool water. The look on the yeti's face reminded Delilah of her father when he was worried about her.

The Yeti raised his head and grunted. At the same time, Delilah heard a whine behind her. Spinning around, she gasped. Sitting beside Bernard's body was a large white dog. It was about as tall as Delilah was when she was kneeling. Its long white coat was flaked with snow. Its eyes were black as was its nose. There were some dark markings on its face, but apart from that, it was almost pure white. It stared into Delilah's eyes, and Delilah saw wisdom in them.

"Blizzard?" Delilah asked, hardly believing what she was seeing.

The dog didn't answer her; instead, it leaned down and prodded Bernard with a paw. Bernard shifted and moaned, his eyes closing as he winced in pain. His eyes didn't re-open.

The dog looked up at the yeti and whined. Delilah whipped around as the yeti rose and walked to where a part of the wooden building structure rose out of hard-packed snow. It grabbed the wood with both hands and tugged hard. On the second tug, the wood came apart with a crack. Looking up, Delilah saw a second yeti ripping apart some long rope and wrapping some pieces of cloth into it. As the first yeti approached them, carrying two long pieces of wood, Delilah moved in front of them, not exactly sure what they were going to do. But then she heard the dog whine behind her. Looking at it, she gazed into its eyes. It seemed to speak to her, telling her to trust the yeti. She moved aside and the yeti laid the two pieces of wood down, one on either side of Bernard's body. Then the first yeti gently lifted Bernard's body (Delilah winced as her brother moaned in pain) while the second yeti ran the rope under his body and between the two pieces of wood. Delilah realized they were making a crude stretcher. They lifted Bernard up, and started walking. Delilah felt fur brush her leg as the white dog move forwards to lead the way. Delilah quickly ran to catch up.

**Chapter 9**

Delilah didn't know where the yetis were taking them, but she was determined not to leave Bernard. She walked by his side as they trudged across a large snow field and behind the dog when they were forced to walk single file through a narrow crevice in the cliffside. They entered a cave in the wall, and Delilah shuddered as she walked under a battery of icicles that looked like teeth. They trudged through a large cavern made of ice sheets and columns of rock. Seeing bones of animals and seeds from fruit littered across the cave floor, Delilah thought that this must be where the Yeti live. Her suspicions were confirmed when a small yeti, possibly a teenager, appeared from behind a column to watch the procession. Delilah avoided his eyes. She didn't know what he'd make of her.

The Yeti entered a narrow tunnel at the far end of the cavern and they climbed for hours. Eventually they exited high on the mountain. They crossed a barely noticeable small wooden bridge over a sheer drop and the yeti paused. The dog barked and scrambled up a rocky wall, vanishing into a hole in the wall.

The yeti set the stretcher down and waited. Delilah looked around, wondering what would happen next. Then a woman's voice made her look up. The dog had reappeared with a Chinese woman, who was wearing robes of blue and yellow. She had an annoyed look on her face as the dog dragged her out of the hole. When she saw Delilah and the yeti, her annoyed look was replaced by a look of confusion.

"Please" Delilah begged, removing her hood "I think my brother's dying" The yeti moved aside to reveal Bernard on the stretcher. The woman gasped and scrambled down the rocks, the dog barked from in front of the hole.

The woman landed beside Delilah, took one look at Bernard, and then looked at Delilah. The woman cocked her head, than reached down and grasped one end of the stretcher. Delilah nodded and grabbed the other end. The woman said something to the yetis, which Delilah assumed was a thank you for helping. The yeti turned and began scaling down the mountain, leaping from rock to rock like chamois.

Delilah and the woman carried Bernard inside the cave hole, the dog had already vanished inside. The first thing Delilah noticed was a blast of hot, humid air. She wasn't expecting to find that here. Then, as she turned a corner and the cave widened out, she couldn't believe her eyes.

The cavern was enormous. The walls were lined with carvings and symbols. One wall was made up of an enormous Buddha statue that was lying down; in the center of the cavern was a pagoda-like structure that reflected the dancing water of a pool.

As Delilah took this in, she noticed another figure standing by the pool. A figure wearing red and orange robes. The woman called in Chinese and the figure turned around. It was the High Lama, but there was something different about him. His small beard, which had been white when Delilah had last seen him, was now jet black, and his skin had a more youthful appearance to it, not botched and spotted like other old people were.

When the High Lama saw the problem, he ran over and took the stretcher from Delilah. As she removed her winter coat, they lay Bernard down by the edge of the pool. They removed his boot and opened his heavy coat and ripped his shirt, exposing the wounds in his leg and chest. The woman took a cup and dipped it into the sparkling water of the pool. Then she carefully poured a few drops of the water onto the wound left by the icicle. As Delilah watched, the wound seemed to shimmer, than the blood seemed to recede and the skin closed up, leaving only a scar. The high lama dropped some more water on Bernard's foot and Delilah could hear a cracking noise as his foot healed by itself. Bernard took a gasping breath and began to breath more calmly. Delilah's eyes watered, and the wiped away her tears.

"He'll be fine" A voice she didn't recognize made her look up. Her eyes widened and she clapped her hands over her mouth to block the shriek.

She was staring into the face of her thought-he-was-dead uncle! A face she had only seen in photographs.

But her Uncle Richard looked far from dead, in fact, he looked like he hadn't aged a day in 15 years. His face was exactly like what Delilah had seen in photographs on their mantelpiece at home.

Seeing Delilah's reaction, Richard frowned, and raised his eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"

"A-Are y-y-you Rich-Richard Hammond?" Delilah stammered, still not believing that her uncle was standing in front of her.

"Yes" Richard's reply was guarded

"Your brother is Walter Hammond, yes?" Delilah gasped, her eyes starting to tear up again.

Richard's eyes narrowed "How do you know my brother?" He asked, frowning.

Delilah was so happy she could barely get the words out. "I'm Delilah Hammond" She finally squeaked. Richard's eyes widened. "Walter's my father" Richard gasped in amazement in this news.

Delilah stared to snivel, tears running down her cheeks. Richard held out his arms and Delilah leapt into them, crying into his shoulder.

When Delilah finished, Richard held her out at arm's length to examine her.

"Oh boy" He sighed "I leave my brother for 15 years, and he goes and has a child" He smiled.

"Actually, two children" Delilah nodded towards Bernard, who was sleeping peacefully. Richard's eyes really flew wide at this. Delilah felt something prod her leg. Looking down she saw the white dog was sitting next to them, staring up at them. Kneeling down so they were eye level, she smiled at the dog.

"You really are Blizzard, aren't you?" She asked. Blizzard wagged his tail and licked her face in reply. Delilah giggled as she stroked Blizzard's long white fur.

The woman approached them.

"Will my brother be alright?" Delilah asked, rising to her feet.

"He will be fine" The woman smiled, "He need rest"

"I'll stay with him" Richard smiled at Delilah and assumed a lotus pose next to Bernard. Blizzard curled up on the rocky floor next to him.

Hearing footsteps, Delilah turned to see the high lama approach. He defiantly looked younger here than when she had last seen him in the monastery.

She bowed, trying to show respect. The high lama smiled, "It is good to see you again too, most honored traveler" He bowed as well, then turned and motioned for Delilah to follow him. After casting a look at her uncle, she walked after him.

"No offense" Delilah told the high lama as they reached a hole in the cavern, "But you look different from when I last saw you" The high lama chuckled.

"There is nothing to worry about" He smiled at her, "Your good karma has finally brought you to the safety of this place. Welcome to the lost kingdom of Shangri La" He motioned outside the hole and as the cloud of mist cleared, Delilah stared in awe.

Spread out below her was a large valley of green surrounded by white-topped mountains. A big river flowed through the valley, which was covered by thick green trees. There were a few buildings and large statues visible from the cliff on which she stood, some were gold, some weren't. Before she could take everything in, a butterfly fluttered in front of her. She held out a finger, and the butterfly perched on it, fluttering its brown-and-orange wings for a few seconds, before lifting off again and flying towards one of the buildings in the distance.

"Come" The high lama lad started climbing down a small stairway that had been chiseled into the cliff. Delilah whispered in awe as she followed him.

**Chapter 10**

At the base of the cliff, Delilah followed the high lama through a growth of some of the most healthy trees she had ever seen.

"Wow" She said in awe "I can almost feel the peace and harmony in this place. Not to mention the fact that it seems to have done wonders for your skin complexion."

"For thousands of years" The high lama explained, "This mystical valley has been the source of eternal youth and life. For those who discover Shangri La, if they stay, they will never grow old. Your uncle made this decision when he discovered Shangri La fifteen years ago, along with your father"

"My father came here?" Delilah asked, surprised.

The high lama nodded as they crossed a bridge over the river. "Your father and uncle discovered this place fifteen years ago after they tumbled into the gravestones of the spirits. But unlike your uncle, your father was never fully happy here. We sensed that his mind and heart was always wandering far from here. Then one day he decided to leave."

"I told him that was probably the worst decision he would ever make" A voice made them look around. Richard and Bernard were approaching them.

"Bernard!" Delilah hugged her brother. "You look great"

"And I feel great" Bernard agreed.

"Anyway, when Walter decided to leave, I felt like being torn in two" Richard recounted "Part of me wanted to go with him, but I couldn't leave this place."

Looking around, Bernard realized why it would be so hard to leave.

"Where is Walter anyway?" Richard looked around.

"We haven't seen him since the yeti attacked our campsite." Delilah replied, "I hope he's okay".

"Don't worry" Richard reassured them. "Your father is a survivor, plus I think the yeti remember him."

"Huh?" Bernard and Delilah stared at their uncle.

"It is true" The high lama nodded "Walter, Richard, and Blizzard helped save the lives of the younger yeti when they were here last. They owe them a life debt."

"So that's why the yeti didn't go for dad back at the campsite" Bernard reasoned.

The high lama turned to go up the stairs of one of the buildings. Turning back he said "This way my dear friends, you may stay for as long as you wish" Richard nodded and smiled as Bernard and Delilah followed the high lama inside the building.

Meanwhile, above ground, the snowstorm had died down to a level that Drew and the others had piled into the snowplow and set out, investigating the data from the seismograph. Drew was driving, with Walter next to him. Chang and Alex were tucked in the back seat.

"It just doesn't make any sense" Alex said as they crawled through the snow. "I didn't think Mt. Everest had earthquakes."

"It doesn't" Chang replied.

"According to the data, we should be right on top of the vibrations" Walter looked up from a data sheet he was reading.

A look of fear crossed Drew's face. "Whoa!" He yelled and braked hard. The snowplow swerved violently and everyone gasped in fear as a large black hole loomed up ahead. The snowplow skidded sideways, stopping at the edge of a deep chasm.

Everyone piled out and stood at the edge of the chasm, wondering what would have happened if they hadn't stopped. Drew took out a small device and held it to the ground. After observing the readings, he said

"The vibrations are defiantly coming from down there" Drew ran back to the snowplow and returned with some coils of rope. In almost no time, they were repelling down the walls of the chasm.

They eventually found themselves in a tunnel with railroad tracks leading down it. Just then the foursome heard a loud boom and felt the ground shake.

"What was that?" Chang asked.

"Let's find out" Walter replied, moving down the tunnel.

Back in Shangri-La, Bernard and Delilah had changed out of their mountain clothes into robes that had been provided by the high lama. Richard was showing them part of an old building that was connected to the valley wall. Inside were many paintings depicting beings and people of great power.

"For such a peaceful people, they sure had creepy paintings" Bernard commented after observing one painting of a green-skinned figure breathing fire.

"No kidding" Delilah agreed, who was looking at a painting of a brown-skinned being with the wildest beard and hairdo she had ever seen.

Just then, they heard a boom and felt the ground shake.

"What was that?" Delilah asked, looking around.

"It's coming from this way" Richard, Blizzard, Bernard, and Delilah dashed down a hallway. They ended up at a wooden elevator with a mining cart sitting inside.

"Where does this go?" Bernard asked, but Richard shrugged.

"Let's find out" Delilah entered the elevator along with Blizzard. Bernard groaned but followed. Richard pulled a lever and the elevator began sinking down into the ground.

Down they went, until they finally came to a stop in a large mine. Different tracks spread out in different directions. The boom came again, causing parts of the cave wall to crumble.

"Down here!" Richard called as Blizzard growled and took off down one of the tunnels. They ran until they came to a stop at a place where the tracks branched into three different tunnels.

"So, which way?" Bernard asked. But before Richard could answer, they heard footsteps rapidly approaching.

"Hide!" Richard, Bernard, and Delilah scattered. But Blizzard didn't move. He sniffed the air, than he wagged his tail and vanished down the tunnel, barking.

"Blizzard no!" Richard hissed.

"Okay Blizzard, okay" A familiar voice rang, "I'm glad to see you too!"

"_That's dad's voice"_ Delilah gasped.

Just then Blizzard reappeared leading Walter, Alex, and Chang, with Drew bringing up the rear.

"Dad!" Bernard and Delilah cried out, running towards him.

"Hey!" Walter laughed as he hugged his kids.

"We thought we'd never see you again" Delilah sniveled.

"Well" Walter smiled, "That was silly of you wasn't it?"

"Oh yeah, hilarious" Richard joked as he emerged from hiding "It looks like that attitude of yours is still strong after fifteen years, brother"

Everyone gasped at Richard.

"I don't believe it" Walter gasped as the brothers clasped hands. "You haven't aged a day"

"And you've aged fifty years" Richard laughed. Blizzard trotted over and sat beside Richard.

"My mind is like, blown" Drew exclaimed, staring at Richard

"Nice to see you too, Drew" Richard replied.

Just then there was another boom, louder this time, and parts of the ceiling began falling on them.

"That sounded like an explosion" Delilah glanced around fearfully.

"We can't stay here" Chang was glancing up at the cave ceiling "This cave is coming down on us!"

"Quick! This way!" Richard and Blizzard led the group down one of the tunnels as more parts of the tunnel caved in.

**Chapter 11**

The group emerged in a large cavern and gasped in awe. The walls of the cavern were covered with shards of glowing blue crystal.

"These are just like the crystal that the yeti carving was holding, back at the monastery" Bernard reached out and gently touched one, which seemed to glow a little brighter at his touch.

"This is really cool" Drew said in awe.

"Look" Delilah whispered, "Someone's down there" Sure enough, there were people moving around below.

"Those are Monsieur Poisson's men" Bernard gasped.

"Along with my crew" Alex stared wide-eyed.

As they watched, Johnny placed a bundle of TNT, wired together, into the center of a large growth of crystal. Wei Li did the same on another growth, then they trailed spools of wire to a wooden barrier where Edward was waiting.

After the wires were connected, everyone ran for cover. There was a bang and the whole cavern shook. A large slab of crystal became dislodged from the wall and landed in one of the sledges. Laughing the crew raced forward and secured the crystal to the sled with ropes.

Richard was shivering with rage "They're stealing the sacred crystals" He hissed. Blizzard gave a low growl, his teeth bared.

"Is that bad?" Delilah looked at her uncle. Richard looked back at her.

"It's bad if they get caught." He replied, "These crystals are sacred to both the locals and the yeti. If the yeti catch them, they'll never make it off the mountain".

"Hey, what's Blizzard doing?" Bernard asked.

Looking down, they saw that the dog was leaping from rock to rock down towards the crew.

"_Blizzard no!"_ Walter hissed, but it was too late.

Johnny laughed as he secured a giant chunk of crystal to the sledge.

"I'll tell you guys" He boasted and he turned to face his partners, "This is probably the best scheme we've ever come up with.

Edward agreed "And once we're off this dreadful mountain, it's nothing but room service and sunlit beaches." Everyone cheered.

"We'll be living life to the extreme!" Johnny exclaimed as he turned back to the sled.

At this time, Alan and Chang were leaning over the edge, trying to get a better look, but the ledge suddenly crumbled beneath them.

"Whoa!" With a yell, Chang and Alan slid down the rocky wall and ended up in a heap.

Alan moaned as he shook his head. Looking up he saw the others gathering around him. He pretended to look relieved.

"Hey guys!" He exclaimed "Where'd you go? I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Yeah" One of his buddies replied, "I'm sure you have"

Chang rubbed his skull as he came too. He looked around, saw the sled and gasped. "What are you doing with these crystals?"

Wei Li knelt by him. "We're simply going to reveal to the world that these crystals are here."

Chang stared at her in amazement, while Alan's eyes widened.

"You think you can just do that?" He asked.

Edward nodded, "The lost treasure of Shangri La will be lost no more once we get off the mountain."

"You cannot do that" Chang tried to rise to his feet, but Johnny pushed him back down to the laughter of the others.

"And who can stop us?" he sneered "Certainly not you two"

"Maybe not" Alan raised his head. "But I think he'll try" Alan pointed to Blizzard, who was now standing next to the sled. His white pelt was bristling with rage, his lips drawn back in a snarl, revealing sharp fangs. His eyes seemed to glow in the light reflected by the crystals.

"Where'd that mutt come from?" Someone asked.

"That's the same dog I saw before that avalanche" Alan said to them.

Chang nodded, "He has been seen by many villagers, and every time he has been seen, something bad has happened."

Johnny and the others laughed at this.

"What? He's an omen of doom?" Edward scoffed.

"I suppose you could say that" Adam nodded, with induced more laughter.

"Well, this time he's the one whose' doomed." Johnny picked up a crowbar and advanced on the dog, which backed against the sled, growling.

Johnny smiled and raised the crowbar.

"Johnny, Look Out!" Wei Li's warning scream made Johnny look up to late. Something hard thudded into him, knocking the crowbar from his hands as his feet were whipped out from under him.

"Don't touch my dog" Richard growled at he landed on top of Johnny. Everyone gaped at Richard.

"You're supposed to be dead!" Edward hollered.

"Right now I'd say you're the ones who are dead" Richard's tone was low and threatening. Blizzard growled at them.

Johnny leapt to his feet, baring his teeth in rage.

"Get them!" he yelled.

Wei Lin leapt at Delilah and Bernard, who blocked her punch and struck back. Wei Lin dodged her punch and they fought. Edward grabbed a pickaxe and swung it like a club, but Richard blocked the blow with his staff and twisted it, wrenching the pickaxe from Edward's hands.

Johnny swung at Blizzard, who jumped back, than leapt and snapped his jaws shut on Johnny's arm. Johnny howled in pain and dropped the crowbar. Meanwhile, Alan and Chang fought against the two members of Alan's crew and knocked them to the ground.

Suddenly, the click of a hammer echoed throughout the chamber, making everyone freeze. Wei Lin had pulled a gun from her pocket and had aimed it at Delilah. Bernard flinched from the ground.

"Okay, no one move" She demanded, smiling.

Everyone froze, Wei Lin, with her gun, directed Richard, Walter, Bernard, Delilah, Chang, and Alan against a wall. Richard was holding onto Blizzard around the neck as the dog growled at Wei Lin.

Everyone else continued loading the crystals onto the sleds.

After a little while, Edward was securing the tarpaulin on the final sled and gave Wei Lin thumbs up. Wei Lin smiled and aimed at the prisoners.

"What are you doing?" Delilah asked.

"Making sure that you don't give our story away to anyone. Nothing personal, but we can't take that chance" Wei Lin smiled and cocked the gun.

Suddenly, a loud roar echoed though the chamber.

"What was that?" One of the crew asked

Three other roars answered the first one, they were coming from overhead. Everyone looked up and gasped in fear.

No fewer than seven yetis were standing on a wooden track that ran above them. Their hands were clenched into huge fists. When the yeti saw them look up, they roared in anger. Even from that distance, they could see yellow teeth being bared and globs of spit fly into the air by the force of their roars.

Wei Lin gasped in fear at the sight of such beasts, and her arms began shaking. Bernard lunged forwards and grabbed the gun just as Wei Lin turned at the sound. Yanking the weapon from her hands, Bernard threw it over the edge down into a small chasm. The gun shattered on the crystals with a sharp _clang_.

The yetis leapt down as a group, roaring in rage as they fell. Johnny, Wei Lin, Edward, and the others screamed and fled down the tunnels. In their haste, they forgot about the crystals, which were still strapped in on their sleds. The yetis chased after them, roaring and waving their furry arms.

"How far do you think they'll get?" Delilah asked

"If they're lucky, not very far" Richard replied. Everyone laughed and began to unstrap the tarpaulins.

**Chapter 12**

Well the crooks didn't manage to get very far. The yeti caught them and would have killed them, but Blizzard, Richard and the high lama were able to persuade the yetis not to, however, they warned the crooks that if they ever returned to the Himalayas, that the yeti wouldn't spare them a second time.

Alex and Chang were able to take a small price of the crystal off of the mountain, and sold it. This experience turned Chang to writing. He wrote about the legends of the abominable snowman, and about the myths surrounding the Himalayas. Alex retired from mountain climbing and moved in with Drew Frost to expand the weather recording session. Nowadays, you can actually tune into the "Everest Radio Channel" for your favorite local mountain songs and stories.

What about Monsiuer Poisson? It turns out he survived his fall from the cliff with just a few broken bones, but this encounter with the creatures turned his views upside down. Instead of hunting animals, he is using his hunting skills to train rangers around the world into the techniques of poaching, so that they can be better prepared for encountering them.

Richard, against his brother's wishes, returned to Shangri–La. He promised Walter he would call from the satellite phone at the radio station every month.

"Well, that was quite an adventure" Bernard smiled as they relaxed in their house back in America.

"It sure was" Delilah sighed as she stared up at the white ceiling. She closed her eyes and laid her head back against the couch.

Their father walked in, holding a package.

"Who is this from?" Bernard asked as he set it down before them.

"It says "From some furry white friends" Walter smiled

Bernard and Delilah tore open the packages to discover two small containers holding water from Shangri La. Included was a note from Richard, instructing them to take one teaspoonful on their birthdays.

"Do you suppose this stuff actually works?" Bernard asked

Delilah smiled "I wouldn't question the powers of Shangri-La"

THE END.


End file.
